The Journey to Creating Exceptional Experiences: Inside Balanced Roots Retreat
BY EMMA GEARY - MARCH 25, 2024
Photos courtesy of Balanced Roots Retreats by Rachel Lea Photography
As with any career, there isn’t a straight line to finding the place you need to be–where do passion and fulfillment align? Katie Quade knows this journey firsthand. “It feels like every year I refine my vision a bit more and get closer to what I love,” she shared as we talked about her journey to founding (and growing!) Balanced Roots Retreats and Events.
So, how did Katie go from a traditional advertising job to owning her own business that creates exceptional experiences?
Katie started her career in advertising and experiential marketing for a few years until she and her husband decided to make a big change. “He’d recently gotten laid off and we both studied abroad in Australia in college and knew we wanted to go back. It felt like the perfect opportunity. We sold our house, moved out one day, flew to Australia the next, and he started work the day after that. It was a whirlwind.”
After 3 years in Australia, they decided to return to Minnesota to start a family, but Katie knew that her life would look different after their time spent down under.
“I knew that I didn’t want to come home to the same city and do the same job and live the same life. The culture in Australia was so much slower than in America - people shut their laptops at 5 pm and took vacations. I wanted to find a way to combine my love of creating experiences with that slower pace of life into a business, which is how the first Balanced Roots Retreats was born.”
Initially, Balanced Roots Retreats began with smaller events, coaching sessions, and virtual workshops. Katie had a complicated pregnancy with their daughter Sylvia who was born sleeping at 18 weeks. Amid her loss and grief, we were surrounded by a world of uncertainty as COVID-19 quickly turned into a global pandemic, bringing isolation to so many. We quickly pivoted our business model and created as many virtual offerings as we could. In August 2020, they became pregnant with their son Gabriel, born in April 2021.
“It was a wild time to start a business, Katie shared, “I remember leaving the hospital in early May of 2020 with so much grief, looking for a distraction, but the pandemic was raging and our community was hurting.”
When Balanced Roots was in flux, Katie was approached by her chiropractor to plan a retreat for their team. It was a lightbulb moment, realizing that planning retreats for others allowed her to work smarter and develop more tailored offerings to serve her clients. From there, she planned a retreat for 75 of Beautycounter’s team members, which led to a 500-person event, The Bash for Brains, a fundraising event for Alzheimer’s.
“I found a good rhythm and realized that the best kind of client for me is usually a woman-owned business that values wellness and community,” she says, “They trust my ability to use my skills to bring a meaningful experience to their team, and that freedom allows me to plan events that make a difference in their lives.”
Finding a niche for your work is often one of the most gratifying steps in growing your business, and while it can feel counterintuitive to get even more specific with the type of work and clients you serve, it’s also a crucial step in arriving at the most realized version of the business.
“Last year was the first year I could pay myself, which is huge for a small business owner. It isn’t as much as my former corporate salary, but I get to do what I love and care for my family along the way, which is invaluable to me.
So we wondered, what does a perfect retreat look like at Balanced Roots?
“We do so many types of events and retreats, and I love the creative challenge of each. If I had to pick a favorite though, it would be hosting a fall weekend retreat in the Minnesota Northwoods for 12 women who are ready to explore themselves by nourishing their bodies, minds, and spirits, while connecting with themselves and others. Here's a sample itinerary of the perfect Saturday during a retreat weekend:
A good cup of coffee & fresh smoothies
90 minutes of yoga and meditation
Brunch
A creative activity (e.g. floral arranging)
Afternoon snacks & wine
Coaching
Candlelight Yoga
Tablescape dinner with paired wine
The format for this retreat allows for nourishment, introspection, connection, creativity, and fun. Watching women open up and grow throughout the three days is amazing. These weekend retreats are truly magic."
Katie is proof positive that the journey toward building a business isn’t straightforward, but leaning into what feels most authentic to you will always point your work in the right direction. If you or your team is interested in unearthing this same personal growth and discovery, get in touch with Katie for your next event or retreat! Visit her website here.
Emma Geary
Emma is the one writing it all down. She's been with LAB since 2021 and is finishing her MFA in Creative Writing in her spare time. Her favorite color right now is cobalt blue.
